Kamen Rider Sakura
by Roxas is My Sora
Summary: December 30, 1985. That was the day that time stood still in Japan. An endless winter had befallen the land of the rising sun, eclipsing the hopes of the people. Now, 24 years later, a young heroine has risen to fight the Frost... Kamen Rider Sakura!
1. Winter Eternally

~The First Stanza~

**Verse 01**: Winter Eternally

Winter. It is a vast, expansive time of depression and despair. At least, that's how I heard many other people describe it. As it is, I don't agree with them. Winter, like life, is what you make of it. Even in this permawinter, I can still see the happy faces of children and others. So it isn't really a question of how the world can change for the individual, but rather, for the individual to change to the world. And yet... something has been bothering me for quite sometime.

And that something was something called a flower. I have only heard stories and seen pictures of them and I'm insanely curious about them. In my life, I hope to at least see a real flower. If I could do that... I would be ever so happy. But unfortunately, the flowers were killed by the Frost, an empire of the most foulest creatures in the world. It is their fault that the hearts of the people had been frozen and closed. But I believe... I I could make a difference somehow... a flower might bloom again.

***

_Crash_.

The skidding of of a car across the icy plane of the lonely streets furthered the chilliness of the night. The veichle in question was flipped onto it's side, with screams filling the void night sky. A body rolled out of the passenger seat, apparently still breathing. It was a younger girl. Upon closer inspection of the car, it would appear that a woman in her later twenties was behind the wheel. Her head was rested on the steering wheel, a fine crimson line flowing from an open cut on her head.

A shuffle in the bushes near them caused the young girl to fidget. She opened her eyes, letting her gaze rest on the accident. She gasped in horror, letting a mixture of fear and despair dance into her mind. She ran to the car, which was now spewing gasoline in the back. Crying hysterically she yelled,

"OKA-SAN! PLEASE WAKE UP! OKA-SAN!" Tears poured out of her swamped eyes and traveled down into the snow. Behind her, a figure stepped out of the bushes. He was slender and had terrifying blue eyes. His skin was almost as pale as the snow he trodded on and he was wearing a black cloak. He held out his hand, which made several bits of air condense and turn themselves into ice. They shaped themselves into a short sword and he grasped it tightly. Moving forward, he was right over the sobbing child as he raised his weapon high. He whispered as she turned around to scream,

"Hayashi Ayaka. You will die here and now." He brought the blade down, fully intending to kill her. A voice called out to him, shoting with authority,

"Matte (Wait)!" The pale figure stopped in mid-swing as the girl fainted from the trauma. As he turned around, he faced a man. Although his features weren't defined in the blackness of the night, the figure could tell the man was no older than fifteen, possibly younger than that. He analyzed him and said stiffly in a hoarse voice,

"And who are you?" The young man walked forward as he answered,

"I am here to break the chains of opression you have put on this nation." He took out a pin-like object from his pocket and continued in a steady voice, full of conviction,

"I am here to weigh your crimes and punish you." He threw the pin into the air, to which dozens of blossoms rained down between them. The younger man had acquired a belt of sorts as he finally said,

"I am your judge... and your executioner." The pale figure smirked and laughed hard, so hard he had to hold his face.

"HAHAHAHAHA! You? Execute me?! You jest boy." But the young man placed the pin he caught from the air into the belt and responded,

"It's your funeral Frost... Henshin!" The two raced towards eachother as a strange blackness enveloped them both, their fight becoming more and more distant. It wasn't until they were fully gone from visible sight that a familiar ringing sound brought the occupant to reality.

***

"OKA-SAN!" cried a younger woman as she reached out of bed, pushing the covers away as she breathed heavily. Placing a hand over her heart, she tried to calm down. It wasn't until several minutes later that her heart rate went down. Sighing, she wiped her forehead, which was dripping with sweat. It was becoming even more vivid with everynight.

"That nightmare. I wanted to forget it... why can't I?" She hugged her legs in as she sat in solitary, away from everything. Good was good, evil was evil. She knew that and she lived by the philosophy taught to her by the rest of her company. With a heavy deep breath, she told herself,

"Cheery thoughts! Can't forget about that concert tonight... don't want to disappoint any of my fans!" She wiped her tears and washed up, treading to the bathroom to get ready. She could already feel it in her bones, it was going to be a long day. She was going to have to make the most of it. So, she took a long soak in her expansive tub. It was big enough to actually be classified as a small swimming pool really. The steam rose as she looked up and stared into the lights.

"I wonder what you're doing right now... Oka-san?" She smiled at the memory of her mother, her mind trying its best not to slip back to that gruesome night. Funny thing was, the more she thought about her mother, the warmer she felt, eventually until all of the pain she had sort of... melted away. It was hard to explain. But she enjoyed it as she laughed due to her happiness.

Glad that she managed to let go of those horrid feelings, she did her hair gently and danced around, anxious for her first concert of the month. She was out of practice due to some... work-related injuries. But she was just about ready to go again. She started humming as she grabbed a pin from her dresser. It was shimmering pink and was the shape of a cherry blossom. She slipped it onto her scarf and picked out an outfit of black bottoms, a white short sleeve, and a pink long sleeve under the first. She let her hair loose, making it slide gently down her shoulders.

Checking her appearence twice, she finally deemed herself preety enough to got out and stepped out of the door. What awaited her was something a bit odd... and strangely wonderful.

***

Surprisingly, as Ayaka walked out of the door, her eyes darted over to a young girl. She was doing something that Ayaka herself hadn't done in years. She hasn't really seen anyone do it either. The little girl was making what seemed to be a snowman. She dropped her bag in shock and stood there for a few minutes. The little girl's head popped over to her and she waved. Ayaka, regaining her composure, grinned widely and waved. She ran over to the little girl, carefully treading through the ice and making sure not to slip. Once she got there, the little girl smiled and said proudly,

"Hajimemashite (Nice to meet you for the first time) Onee-san!" Ayaka chuckled at how cute this little girl was. She asked softly,

"What's your name?" The little girl put a finger to her chin and stopped for a minute. She stood there for a few moments while Ayaka glanced at the snowman she was building. It had the signature top hat and a carrot nose, with buttons for the eyes instead of coal. A simple plain red scarf hung over its arms, which were sticks. She couldn't help but feel proper nostalgia. Finally, the little girl tapped her palm lightly and replied,

"Chiharu." Ayaka didn't notice a surname, so she asked again, highly curious.

"What about your family name Chiharu-chan?" Chiharu looked down and mumbled almost inaudibly,

"I... don't remember..." Ayaka was shocked. Was she dealing with an orphan? She really had no way of knowing. Until an idea popped into her head. She wasn't sure if this would classify as an emergency, but she couldn't just leave this poor little girl out on the street. She unfastened the pin from her scarf and held it out. She spoke softly to the girl,

"Chiharu-chan... I can help you remember." Chiharu's eyes widened and it seemed like she was analyzing her. After a minute she shrieked excitedly.

"You can do that Onee-san?!" Ayaka nodded, with a look of comfort, knowing she might be able to help Chiharu at least. The little girl smiled widely and asked in an ecstatic voice,

"What do I have to do?!" Laughing at her enthusiasm, Ayaka focused on the pin and it glowed pink. it surronded them both in a swirling light as Chiharu said in wonder,

"Ahhh.... pretty!" Ayaka replied to Chiharu's earlier question by saying,

"Chiharu-chan, just focus on the clearest memory you have." She nodded and closed her eyes, trying her hardest to remember something. It must have worked, considering that the swirling background behind them shaped itself up to be a playground of sorts, covered in snow. In the middle of it was a Chiharu in miniature, as she was only possibly four at the time. She was playing with an older woman, most likely her mother. Ayaka was beginning to feel deja vu. And she had good reason to be feeling that too. At that moment, a figure, dressed in the same cloak as her attacker, came upon the two. He undid his hood, revealing silver hair and golden eyes. He threw a seed of crystal blue into the ground and whispered,

"Arise from the Frosted Land..." As the words were spoken, a monster, with crystals all over his body and limbs made of ice dug out of the ground. The mother hid Chiharu from view, hoping to protect her. The monster rounded on them as the cloaked figure left them, expression remaining emotionless. Ayaka felt Chiharu tremble besides her and knew that they should leave. What could would her memories be if they caused her pain? So, she undid the memory dive, and they were right back were they started. Chiharu fainted on the spot as Ayaka held her head, wondering what to do next.

But before she could think of anything else, a familiar figure bursted from the nearby ice. It was the same monster from Chiharu's memory. He was surprisingly fast for such a large monster. He snatched Chiharu's unconcious body and drove is claws into it. Screaming out,

"CHIHARU-CHAN!" She ran to the monster, jumping up and giving it a drop kick to the head. It stumbled back a few inches, but pulled its claws out, revealing a spiritual version of Chiharu, causing the original to become pale. The monster slid back to the ice as Ayaka banged against the surface and cried out, holding Chiharu in her arms,

"CHIHARU-CHAN!" She couldn't stand it. All of the loss. All of the pain. So, she hardened her resolve, with tears still fresh on her face. She ran through the city, chasing the monster's shadow which was reflected in the ice.

***

Once she cornered the shadow into an alleywy, the monster broke out of it and stared at her. She pointed to it and took out her pin.

"Frost. I am here to break the chains of oppression you have put on this nation." She walked forward, as the monster grumbled.

"I am here to weigh your crimes and punish you." The monster ran towards her as she stared at it with enraged eyes.

"I am your judge... and your executioner!" She threw the pin into the air, where several blossoms swirled around her, creating a belt of some kind. The monster was close to her now, but she placed the pin into the center of the belt as she cried out,

"Henshin!" A sonic blast pushed the monster back several feet away from herself. In the next moment, she was covered in a strange set of armor. Her color scheme was white and pink, with the eyes of her helmet being black. Her helmet resembled the typical sign of the Sakura, with six petals as the visor. She walked forward and said coldly,

"Time to die foul Frost!" She ran towards the beast at full speeds and jumped up, preparing to strike him down.

Chiharu's life and memories have been stolen by the Frost Hyoujin! Can Ayaka save her and restore what is rightfully hers? FIND OUT NEXT TIME!


	2. A Flower in the Ice

~The First Stanza~

**Verse 02**: A Flower in the Ice

It was many years ago. I managed to catch a glimpse of her. She was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen, even to my cold heart. And so, I set out to take her life. Only, I was thwarted by such a pesky human that I couldn't bother to remember the name of. I do however know what he was. He was a disturbance in the grand plans of our glorious empire. He was the most atrocious being in my eyes, and yet... his soul was beautiful. I like to collect beautiful things, but I could not get my quarry nor his soul. I am ever so regretful of that night... That cursed Kamen Rider...

And now I hear my quarry has grown up. She is even more beautiful than the most eloquent flower I witnessed all those years ago, when we first came here. I still seek to make her my own. I will rip apart anyone who stands in my way... Friend or enemy.

***

_Smash._

The force of Ayaka's kick sent Hyoujin flying, which caused him to crash straight through the side of the building. Grumbling, he got up, clearly seeing her as a threat now. He ran at her with superflous force, trying to hit her hard and fast. It was in vain extremely agile, she grabbed the shoulders of the monster and flipped herself over, dodging the attack in full. He growled and skidded to a halt, knocking into a building. It was like a bull and matador in a very showy display of violence and grace. She kept doging him by a hair, Always one step ahead of him.

He grew to be disgusted and actually opened his mouth, speaking in a shrill and scratchy voice,

"Stand still kisama! (deragatory term that is the lowest insult in Japan.)" Ayaka shook her head and chuckled abit before replying,

"Do you kiss your mother with that mouth Frost? I wouldn't put it past you." Hyoujin dashed towards her again, hoping to get a clear shot at her. But she sidestepped the attack and gave him a swift kick to the rear, making him go head-first into the solid wall of the building. Ayaka stepped forward and spoke in a cold voice,

"Now, give me back Chiharu-chan's memories! If you do, I promise to kill you quickly and painlessly." The monster replied with a hearty laugh, which sounded oddly uncomforting in his bizzare voice. He then said,

"Let me ask you a question... why are you so dead-set on this girl? You didn't know her until today." Ayaka nodded and placed a hand on her heart as she said,

"To see her bloom..." The monster was confused, which he expressed in his next question.

"And what the hell does that mean?!" Ayaka began to walk forward to him again, answering slowly,

"Every person can become a flower. Every person's memories determines what kind of flower they will be. But you Frost... you still people's memories, never giving them a chance to bloom!" She took out a disk that was pink for it's main color and white on its side. She picked her leg up and slid the disk onto a latch on the armor. Instantly, the disk began to rotate severely, glowing pink. Both of them were transported to what seemed to be a swirling meadow of cherry blossoms. The monster looked around, horrified.

"Thisssss place issss poissonousss!" Ayaka hit the ground with the leg that housed the disc and was propelled into the air. She did a backflip whilst there and stopped in mid-air, amongst the storm of cherry blossoms that encircled them, carried by a fierce wind. Using the momentum of force, she dived down, extending the disk leg out into a kicking position. With a cry of,

"Ha!" She, accompanied with dozens of cherry blossoms behind her, barraged the monster. He was thrown thorugh the fields into the ground, making a deep trench. He soon shattered into hundreds of pieces, leaving a sparkling flower in it's wake. Relieved that she was successful, Ayaka ran over to the remains and picked up the flower, undoing her transformation. She admired the flower and said in an adored voice,

"Cinquefoil. A flower of maternal love..." It was clear. Chiharu's flower was shaped upon the memories of her mother. Ayaka held the flower to her chest and smiled herself. She left the area to return the flower to Chiharu.

***

Ayaka was out of breath as she ran to wear she had left Chiharu, which is too say, her home. Opening the door quickly, she rushed over to the bed, uncaring that her phone was ringing. She pushed a hair out of the little girl's face and placed the flower onto her chest. Instantly, the flower glowed a brilliant white as Ayaka sheilded her eyes. When she opened them again, she was in the same scene as before, with the monster continuing to advance to Chiharu and her mother. It was then thatthe mother took out what seemed to be a pin. It looked like her own, only it was yellow. Ayaka stared as the mother continued,

"Chiharu! Run, go!" Her daughter shook her head as she shouted,

"But Oka-san!"

"GO!" She was hysterical as Chiharu finally obliged. Without turning back, Chiharu ran out of the park. The monster began to turn direction to follow her, but the mother stepped in the way.

"You. Will. Not. TOUCH HER!" She threw the pin into the air, which caused a belt to form from the raining assortment of petals. Placing the pin on the belt, she cried out,

"Henshin!" There voices grew fader as the memory stopped there. Chiharu must not have seen the fight taken place. Ayaka was relived at that, but then a dredful thought crossed her mind.

"If that Frost survived... what happened to the mother...?" Her answer came when the flash opened again, with Chiharu returning to the park. Her mother was no where to be found... All that was left was the pin that she had. Chiharu cried on the spot and sobbed uncontrollably. Behind her was a slightly older girl, and by going by features, it was her sister.

"Chiharu... let's go." She was clearly upset as well. She picked up the pin on the ground and said, "Don't worry Chiharu... I'll get him back... for oka-san." Chiharu, still non-sensical, held onto her sister as they walked off. Ayaka felt cold. Not only because it felt like a re-run of her own experience, but because she felt Chiharu's pain through the link she shared with a person while diving into their sighed and delved further. The reason Chiharu couldn't remember anything was because she was attacked not twice by that monster, but several times, each time he took a piece of her memory with him. This is the first time she was whole again.

Moreover, after the last attack, she got seperated from her sister. Of course, by that time her memory was like a trainwreck with little to salvage. And so that brought her to the present day...

***

Later on, Chiharu stirred. Her eyes fluttered open and her gaze met that of Ayaka. She sat up and said,

"Morimoto." Ayaka nodded and smiled.

"That's right Chiharu-chan. Your name is Morimoto Chiharu." The little girl hugged Ayaka, holding her tightly.

"Arigatou Onee-san." Ayaka hugged her back.

"Chiharu-chan, I can be your nee-san until we find your real sister okay?" Chiharu blushed and wiped her tears.

"Okay!" Ayaka gave her a big smile as she grabbed the phone in her pocket. Of course, she totally forgot about the concert that night. She facepalmed and rushed up saying hurriedly,

"Come on Chiharu-chan! You get to hear your Onee-san sing!" She jumped up in happiness and the two raced out the door, both smiling, as if they found a repairer to fix thier defects.

***

They finally managed to make it to the stadium in time... only her manager was more than angry.

"You were supposed to be in wardrobe A HALF-N HOUR AGO!" She bowed and tried to profusely apologeize and said,

"Sumimasen gonzaimasu (I am very sorry)!" He blew his long hair out of the way and grumbled.

"Just get your ass in there!" She ran down the hall, with Chiharu right at her heels. The manager held his hand in front of Chiharu and said,

"No kids allowed shrimp." She gave him an indignant look and bit his hand, causing him to shriek in pain. She followed behind Ayaka again, calling over her shoulder,

"Take that you mean Oji-san! (Old man, uncle)."

***

Now all dressed up and Chiharu taken care of, Ayaka could focus on singing before her largest auidence yet. The screams of fans was penetrating, even down below the surface. As the platform raised, smoke was released into the air as flashing lights and spotlights all focused on her. She felt the adrenaline hit her and waved around, with her signature smile out. She began to sing to appease the masses... (Note: the song is called "ChaNge the WoRLd" and is sung by MiChi.)

_"Shinjiru koto o Dont stop  
Subete wa soko kara Start away  
Unmei nante Make yourself  
Kaerareru no wa Only you  
Your mind can change the world  
Go on and change the world_

Another rainy day  
Oh Asa kara Thinking  
Tameiki bakari kokoro kara  
Saigo ni waratta no wa When?

Fuan na Future  
Kuzureru Dreaming  
Shiawase True Love  
Itsu made mo Waiting

So I try to move on  
Kono machi o Walking..  
I start to hear music  
Subete wa Changing

Dare mo ga ataerareru onaji Day

Shinjiru koto o Dont stop  
Subete wa soko kara Start away  
Unmei nante Make yourself  
Kaerareru no wa Only you  
Your mind can change the world  
Go on and change the world

Going home alone  
Itsumono Station..  
Shigeki no nai hibi ni narete  
Genjitsu kara Wanna run away

Hikiyoseteta  
NEGATIVE Feelings  
Tooku kieru  
Yumemiteta Myself

Hikiyoserareru  
POSITIVE feelings  
Mazu Keep seeing  
Naritai Yourself

Dare mo ga ataerareru onaji Day

Kanjiru koto o Dont stop  
Subete wa soko kara Find the way  
Unmei nante Make yourself  
Kaerareru no wa Only you  
Your mind can change the world  
Go on and change the world

Asa o mukaeru One word  
Arigatou For a another day  
Zutto waratte itai kara  
Kyou mo ii hi ni shiyou  
You know you have the choice

Shinjiru koto o Dont stop  
Subete wa soko kara Start away  
Unmei nante Make yourself  
Kaerareru no wa Only you  
Your mind can change the world"

As the outro of the song finished, everyone, including Chiharu, jumped from their seats and aplauded with extremely positive happiness. Ayaka could feel it eminating from where she was and was happy about it all. She was happy and just maybe... maybe she did help a flower bloom. That was her thought as she thumbed up Chiharu who returned the favor.

As her next assignment, Ayaka must guard the less-than friendly daughter of a large corporation, upon suspicion that she is the next target. Is there more to this job that meets the eye? FIND OUT NEXT TIME!


	3. Crystalline Princess

~The First Stanza~

**Verse 03**: Crystalline Princess

Rumors can spread as easily as wildfire. The fact that a monster created by Frost was defeated is a huge deal, especially when the said monster was crafted from Ouji-sama himself. Eh, but that doesn't really matter to me. What I'm curious about is the one who did it. Hyoujin was no pushover. And yet... a human was able to overcome him. That excites me. I think Gurando-san called these humans Kamen Riders. I would love to test my strength against them. But our beloved Ou-sama hasn't been himself... It's getting more frustrating to wait more and more.

You would think that after all this time of service that his majesty and his wife would grant me some respect. But no. Even Hime-sama treats me cruely (as she should), but that is besides the point. I think she's taking the term "ice princess" to a whole new level...

***

"Onee-san, where are you going?" asked the adoring face of Chiharu. Ayaka looked back and replied to her softly,

"Work. But don't worry, Manager-san is going to look after you." Chiharu made a face and moaned,

"No! He's a mean Oji-san!" Ayaka giggled and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"He's a bit rough around the edges... but please be nice to him... okay Chiharu-chan?" She was back to being sunshine and rainbows. Chiharu still was pouting but nodded. Thanking her, she walked out the door, leaving the key under the mat. Making her way down the snowy and ice-ridden roads, she traveled down passages and twisting alleyways, finding herself in front of an empty abandoned building. It was clearly vacant, with mold growing on the support. The roof was laced gently with snow, giving it a homey feel. The door was ripped off its hinges, but was still in place, not connected to anything. The windows were also shattered, giving the place a final touch. She walked over to the house and knocked on the door.

Immediately, a voice spoke in a low whisper that it was amazing Ayaka could hear it at all.

"Password and ID?" Ayaka placed her pin into the keyhole and said just as lowly,

"Six Heralds Tell The Coming of Spring." The door glowed brown for a second until it faded. The porch of the house bent down, revealing a secret passage way. Walking downwards, she found herself deep underground. The wooden structure of the house gave way to a cave-like tavern. She walked through it and lit the torches on the walls. Electricity was hard to wire at this location, thus the need for such archaic demonstrations. She finally came to the end of the tunnel, which lead to a highly technological door. She placed her pin in the middle of the contraption. It analyzed it with a blue ray and the door clicked, letting it open. As it slowly slide into the wall, her eyes had to adjust to the blinding light behind it. Once she could see properly, she walked forward, greeting everyone she met with a smile. Up a set of pale stairs she went, which led to an elongated hallway. There were two rows of columns, fastened after the works of the Greeks. Only the patterns shown in the columns were that of several types of flora. Her footsteps echoed as she went down the empty hallwall. At its end was a large set of doors. Before she could knock, as husky voice answered,

"Come in Ayaka-san." Ayaka grabbed the handle of the door and opened it slowly. The room inside was expansive. Not only that, but it resembled a garden. There were at the very least over a thousand flora species aligning the walls, in various arrangements. She felt warm as she ever did, as the flowers had some sort of claming effect on her. To her right was the figure of a man, who was tall, about six foot five. He had hair that stopped at his neck and which was a caramel color. He was wearing a business suit of sorts, with a red tie. He was clearly Japanese of descent, like her. He was tending to the flowers as she bowed in respect.

"You called me Shirayuki-san?" He didn't answer her right away as he was busying realigning a set of flowers. As he placed them correctly, he turned to her and nodded.

"We have recieved a report about a potential Frost target." He walked over to the small desk in the corner, seemingly out of place in the room. Out of the drawer he took a folder that was thick and said

"Daikane Keiko-san. She is the daughter and heir to the Daikane family. Which as you know, the Daikane family provide funding for Ie Arashi, which provides the entire nation of Japan with heat via their personal gas line." Ayaka nodded and replied,

"So you want me to protect Daikane-san?" He returned her nod with one of his own.

"That's right. Under no circumstances can she be allowed to be taken by Frost. Understand?" She replied with,

"Hai! (Yes). I will protect her with my life!" He smiled.

"Your always so cute when you devote yourself." She blushed and bowed once again. She left the floral office and out of his sight. As for himself, he returned to tending to his blossoming flowers.

***

Ayaka was now face to face with the preteen daughter of Daikane Genta. She had straight black hair and colorful strands down her front, dyed to look pink. Her wardrobe was perfectly black, with a shirt which read "CRUSH YOU HARD" in English. She was still smiling, hoping to ease the tensions between them. Instead, it was further strained. Keiko replied by saying,

"I don't need a babysitter. Especially one as pop-star hapy as you." She let that one go, because she WAS a popstar. But she did correct her by saying,

"Umm... Daikane-san, I'm your body-guard. Not babysitter." She blew her hair up and replied,

"Same difference. I'm saying I don't need you following me around."

"But Daikane-san! Your in danger!" She gave a sarcastic chuckle.

"Proof? No one has attacked me."

"It's to prevent anything from happening to you." She shrugged and said,

"Whatever. If you want to follow me around, I don't care. Just stay away from me." Ayaka could feel something was probably bothering her. She just couldn't put her finger on what precisely. So, she spent the ret of the door following her charge.

She went everywhere. An underground rock concert, the arcade, the movies, and even the restroom when necessary. It was clear she was trying to shake her off. But her training in tailing a suspect wasn't going wasted in this predicament. She kept on her, turning corners and glancing the ice on the floor for shadows. Thankfully, there were none.

Although, from all of the activities, she surmised that Keiko had no friends. And it was even more obvious that her parents neglected her due to their business. She was trying to entertain herself was all. Scared to open up to others. And she was perfectly fine with that. Until later on that is. She caught Keiko trying to buy what seemed to be a fine white powder, which instinctively she jumped to think of the term drug. She literally dashed over to her side, catching both the dealer and Keiko by surprise. Holding out a legitimate badge she said proudly,

"You are under arrest on the charge of illegal possession." From her boots she slipped out a pair of hand-cuffs which she twirled around her fingers. The man tried to run for it, but she slid across the ice on the floor, being the athelete she was, and knocked him down. She quickly placed the hand-cuffs on and called the actual authorities. Within minutes, they arrived to arrest the man (owing to the fact the station was right across the street). She turned her attention to Keiko who was furious.

"Why?! Why did you arrest him? I need it!" It was clear she was hooked. Ayaka gritted her teeth and did something she hated doing. Which is to say, she slapped Keiko across the face. Emotional, she cried out,

"Baka (Idiot)! I get your life is hard, but maybe you wouldn't be so miserable if you let someone else in!" Holding her cheek, Keiko began to tear and scream as well.

"Like who?! I don't have 'parents' and no one wants to even talk with me!" Ayaka continued more,

"Like me!" Keiko was stunned and stared at her dumbly. She continued,

"I'll be your friend. But only if you'll open up to me..."

"Ayaka-san..." Before she could answer, the ice behind them burst, revealing another ice monster. This one was sparkling and had the figure of a woman. Her ips were a super contrast of blue, resembling the temperature of her body. She wore a crown of sorts on her head and her left arm was that of a sharpened blade. She licked the blade and moved forward.

"Ah... Daikane Keiko. I was ordered to take your memories. Let's get this over with." She began running to them as Ayaka pushed the younger girl out of the way as she dodged the charge herself. Taking the pin out, she threw it into the air, causing the blet to appear after the cherry blossoms convened at her waist. Catching the pin, she slid it into her belt and cried out,

"Henshin!" Once again, she was covered in her armor and gave the Hyouhime monster a punch to the gut. Only her gut was made of ice. Still, the effect was desirable. She backed upalittle a said breathely,

"Sakura?" She tapped her blade and smiled.

"Gurando-sama has placed a bounty on your head. The Frost who can get your memory flower will be granted rewards unimaginable!" She ran forward, swiping the blade to her right. Ayaka bent backwards, avoiding the blade barely. She raised a leg upwards into a kick which nicked the monster's chin. She tried again by stabbing her in the chest, but Ayaka sidestepped and punched her in the jaw, making her spin around, holding her fragile face. She took the opportunity to throw a kick to her back. Quick as lightning, the monster grabbed Ayaka's foot and picked her up in anger.

Tossing her into the side of the building, Hyouhime ran over to her and picked her up by the shoulder. She began to mercilessly slash into Ayaka, who was protected by the armor, but still felt the pain from the force of the blows.

"Auhhh... Ughhh....!" The blows continued, with each one knocking the wind out of her. In the distance, Keiko shook her head. She couldn't let the one person who reached out to her die. Especially not like this. So, totally out of character, she cried out,

"AYAKA-SAN! I... I... I WANT TO BE YOUR FRIEND!" Ayaka stopped the blade as the monster brought it done for a final swing. Picking up her head slightly, she said,

"D-Daikane-san..." She raised her leg and kicked back, knocking the monster away from herself. She said aloud,

"Dai- No... Keiko-san... I want to be your friend too." She smiled behind the visor and Keiko, through her tears of happiness, smiled back. But the monster was still there. She took out a disk that was pink for it's main color and white on its side. She picked her leg up and slid the disk onto a latch on the armor. Instantly, the disk began to rotate severely, glowing pink. Both of them were transported to what seemed to be a swirling meadow of cherry blossoms.

"Wha-What is this? What is this warmth?!" cried out the Frost as Ayaka hit the ground with the leg that housed the disc and was propelled into the air. She did a backflip whilst there and stopped in mid-air, amongst the storm of cherry blossoms that encircled them, carried by a fierce wind. Using the momentum of force, she dived down, extending the disk leg out into a kicking position. With a cry of,

"Ha!" She, accompanied with dozens of cherry blossoms behind her, barraged the monster. Unlike the first one, this monster shattered on impact, being cut into thousands of pieces. Undoing the transformation, Ayaka ran over to Keiko and checked to see if she was alright.

"Are you okay?" She answered with a hug, which caught her of guard.

"Yes... Arigatou Ayaka-san." She held out her pinky.

"Friends forever?" She grasped it with her own and they shook.

"Friends forever." She agreed and they smiled, happy to be friends.

**Chiharu is initiated into the Hanako Renchu. What exactly is this mysterious company up to? FIND OUT NEXT TIME!**


	4. Children of the Flowers

~The First Stanza~

**Verse 04**: Children of the Flowers

Hanako Renchu. They are perhaps the most insignificant group of infidels that it has been my displeasure to deal with. They are like gnats. Purposefully annoying to our greater cause. I for one don't believe they pose much threat to our empire, but my father, the great King himself, suspects they will give us a good amount of trouble. Really, I don't share his views at all. They, like all humans, need to be crushed like the vermin they are. It's even more appaling that they have defeated not one, but two of the monsters that I had crafted from the snow itself. But that boils down to the fact that those cretains where nothing but food for the strong. I don't know who exactly defeated them, but I will have my vengence against them, regardless of the consequences.

***

"And now... Morimoto Chiharu. Present your contribution." It was the voice of one Shirayuki Kiyoshi. He was the sole chairman of the Hanako Renchu, and at the moment, he was addressing a very nervous Chiharu who had no idea what he was talking about.

"Um... what?" Behind her, Ayaka placed a hand on her shoulder and whispered gently,

"Hold out your arms Chiharu-chan." She nodded hesitantly and held out her arms. The older man touched them smoothly, being sure to handle them with care.

"Hmmmm.... Hmmmmm...." She had no idea what he was judging, but then he took out a small pin. He placed it onto her head and closed his eyes. A glow eminated from the point of contact, from which he stood for a moment. After a few minutes, he opened his eyes and took the pin away, from which the glow subsided. He cleared his throat and said,

"I deem it worthy... come with me." She looked at him, quite puzzled. She turned to Ayaka for some guidance as to what to do and asked,

"Ayaka-san...?" She replied with a smiling face and nodded,

"Go ahead. It's okay." Not wanting to undermine the trust she had in Ayaka, she bowed respectfully and followed Kiyoshi through the white door, which led to the only remaining flowers on earth, his own green garden. However, someone tapped her on the shoulder and whispered into her ear,

"Hayashi-san, a Frost has been spotted..." She nodded and bowed. Before she went however, she was given a small device that resembled a circular roulette. TThe scientist bowed back and introduced himself.

"Um, My name is Yamada Daisuke... That's the Rider Roulette... Please use it." She smiled at him and nodded.

"I'm sure it'll come in handy." She ran out of the secret headquarters and headed to the coordinates of the attacking monster, with her new tech in tow.

***

It was lightly snowing over Japan, with the concentration focused in Tokyo, where several buildings began to freeze over. The people began to freeze as well, turning into ice sculptures, adding to the weird sensation the landscape gave off. It was alive... and yet lifeless at the same time. Snowflakes fluttered to the ground, breaking due to their fragile nature upon contact with the ground. Strolling through the ever freezing city was an older man. He wore a black cloak and leather gloves, and was humming a strangely hypnoctic melody. Turning a corner, he trailed his hands over the wals, seconds later encasing them in ice.

"Truly... winter is eternally beautiful." He turned as he heard a trail of footsteps and was face to face with Ayaka, who positioned herself defensively.

"Frost. Prepare to lose your life!" He laid his cheek on his hand and kept the other arm folded. He replied,

"Oh. And you are?" She took out her pin and said calmly,

"Your judge and executioner." She threw her pin in the air, which caused dozens of cherry blossoms to rain down. They encircled her waist, condensing and forming a belt. She caught the pin and inserted it, calling out,

"Henshin!" Her armor covered her instantly, which signaled her to begin the attack, beginning with a fist aimed at his face. He sighed and blocked the small attack with his hand. Squeezing her fist, he crunched it, forcing her to one knee.

"Futile. You are just an annoying gnat to me." He picked her up by the arm and began to punch her several times in the stomach, ending the assault with a kick to drive her back. She fell to the floor, breathing heavily. She tried to get up, but fell back down. She knew she probably had a broken rib or two, but she had to get up. All the while, he continued to move towards her, adjusting his gloves.

"Just give up and die." He disappeared in a flash of white light, reappearing as a monster. He resembled a knight of some kind, with a spear as his armament. He raised it high, prepared for the final strike.

***

"Um, Oji-san (used as uncle this time), why exactly did you call me...?" Kiyoshi smiled as he sat in his chair. Surronding them were walls upon walls of exotic and domestic plants, all of which having a different light source according to their preference. Chiharu, who never saw a flower before, was mystified before so many of them.

"I'm not that old yet Chiharu-chan. But... to answer your question, I wanted to make you apart of the organization." She tilted her head out of confusion.

"Why?" He sighed and continued,

"Because... that is why our organization exists." He carassed a small plant on his desk as he went on.

"Back when the Frost came, the Japanese government created this organization for one purpose. Which is to battle the Frost. Which is exactly what we have done for the past 24 years. However... we have determined to extend that objective to sanctify the flowers of the world. Your flower... your memory flower to be exact, is beautiful from what I gathered from Ayaka-san. So... I formally wanted you to join the organization to preserve that beauty..." She didn't have the slightest idea what he was saying, but just nodded all the same. He knew she didn't understand, so he half-smiled and walked her out, saying,

"Well then, it seems like Ayaka-san is busy working... would you like to wait for her?" She nodded as they traveled down, to the research department.

***

As the spear came down, Ayaka rolled out of the way and got up. She replied viciously,

"As if! I can't die now! I will destroy all of you and bring spring back!" She took the device she had been given before and placed it on the front of her belt. A mechanical voice rang out,

"RIDER ROULETTE A-GO!" She pushed both sides of it, which caused the wheel inside to spin randomly. It stopped on a blazing red and orange square and it called out,

"F-F-FLORA FLAME!" The pink on her armor was replaced with orange as she ran forward, her entire body covered in fire. The monster backed away in fright, and tripped.

"No! Stay back!" She punched him hard in the chest, causing a burn to appear on him. He pushed her off and punched her, to which she blocked and kicked him back. Another burn appeared on his chest and he rubbed it while swinging the spear. She threw a punch which broke the spear in half, riding straight to his face and knocking him down. He cringed in pain as she took out a pink disc. This time, she slid it into the device and spun it again. This time, it called out,

"S-S-SAKURA FINAL!" Instantly, the disk began to rotate severely, glowing pink. Both of them were transported to what seemed to be a swirling meadow of cherry blossoms. Ayaka pushed off the ground with both legs and was propelled into the air. She did a backflip whilst there and stopped in mid-air, amongst the storm of cherry blossoms that encircled them, carried by a fierce wind. Using the momentum of force, she dived down, extending the disk leg out into a kicking position. With a cry of,

"Ha!" She, accompanied with dozens of cherry blossoms behind her, barraged the monster. He stopped in his tracks and stumbled forward.

"My lord... forgive... me!" He shattered into hundreds of ice fragments. She undid her transformation as the city began to defrost due to the defeat of the Frost. She flicked her hair as a man from the shadows watched her. He had striking blond hair and saphhire eyes that would make anyone his hypnotic slave. He pulled his hood over his face to mask himself and disappeared, smiling twistedly.

***

Back in the headquarters of the organization, Ayaka was greeted by Chiharu, Kiyoshi and surprisingly, Daisuke. He stuttered as he asked,

"Um... d-did it help?" She nodded with a smile.

"It's amazing. Thank you Yamada-san." Hiyoshi said with appreciation,

"Good work Ayaka-san. And you should know, Chiharu-chan's initiation pulled off without a problem." She nodded to Chiharu who was smiling.

"It's true Onee-san! Oji-san made me an honorary member of the organization!" Ayaka and Daisuke smirked at the Oji-san comment, while Kiyoshi gave them the 'you better not laugh' stare as he replied,

"I already told you Chiharu-chan, I'm not that old yet."

**Unorthodoxically, Ayaka is sent to the forest to investigate an old hermit who seems to have a connection with the Frost. Just what kind of secret is he hiding? FIND OUT NEXT TIME!**


End file.
